We were using the acetate to draw and capture things in the room. I demonstrated that this could be used to trace things as well. One child chose to trace the Hamilton Ti-Cats flag hanging in their class. We brought the flag down and he began tracing the Ti-Cat. At one point he became challenged by the tracing, and he had to restart. This time around, he worked through where he made his mistake on the last tracing. When he finished, I could tell he was proud of the work he did.

I sat with him after to ask him about why he chose to draw this. He watched a football game in the stadium once and recently he went to the stadium to play games in the middle of the field like soccer and tag. This was a new experience for him as he had never been on the field before and had only been in the stands.

In my understanding, this child’s choice to depict the Hamilton Ti-Cats in his art demonstrates his sense of connection to his neighbourhood. The Hamilton Ti-Cats are a big part of his neighbourhood’s identity. His drawing and his explanation suggest that his experience playing games in the stadium enabled him to feel connected to the Ti-Cat’s and their home stadium. I believe his artwork speaks to the importance of accessible youth programming within esteemed neighbourhood spaces. His artwork reflected his experience and this suggests that belonging to a place means not just spectating it, but rather being invited to inhabit it.